Chapter 5: An Opportunist In Thinking

Anybody can think positive when everything is going right. It’s when things are not going right that you need to be in the right frame of mind. After all, with the power of your thoughts, you can ‘will’ almost anything to happen. Hence, with the power of your thoughts, you can set anything right. Getting our thinking right is the sure-fire way of getting our life right. It is even more important to think right, when things are going wrong.

She was an angel. That’s how Avyakta had brought her up in life. And that’s how she had turned out to be. As you sow, so you reap. The effect is nothing but the cause itself in a different form. Every child is a reflection of the parenting that’s gone in. She was daddied (why mothered and not daddied – let’s expand our vocabulary to do justice to dads) like an angel and she grew up to be an angel.

To her, her dad was her lifeline. Whenever she felt insecure, she would rest her head on her dad’s lap. Her dad’s lap was her security blanket. Her dad’s fingers running through her hair always took her into a state of trance. She would become oblivious of the world around. She would completely believe anything he told her in that state. It was almost like hypnosis. Her dad was everything to her. To her, anything and everything seemed possible with Avyakta, her dad, in her life.

That evening, the angel was again gently resting her head on Avyakta’s lap. Uncertainties and insecurities are part of growing years. When people intellectualise their problems, you can intellectualise your solutions too. However, when people are emotional about their problems, it isn’t the time to talk solutions; it is time for protective love. It is time to make the other person feel secure with your protective love. The need of the hour was an unspoken assurance, through gestures and touch,“I understand. I am with you. I am there for you. Daddy will take care.”

Avyakta noticed two lines of tears rolling down his daughter’s cheeks. She wasn’t speaking, and hence this wasn’t the time to speak. Avyakta is just a casual singer, but love cares not for the grammar of singing. Avyakta sang the lullaby wanting his daughter to go to sleep. “Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes and save these questions for another day. I think I know what you’ve been asking me. I think you know what I’ve been trying to say. I promise I will never leave you and you should always know, wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away. Goodnight my angel, now it’s time to dream and dream how wonderful your life will be. Someday we’ll all be gone, but lullabies go on and on… That’s how you and I will be.”

The tears had stopped. The little one tightened her grip; a gesture that suggested, “Speak Dad, speak! I want to listen to you.” Still running his fingers through her hair, Avyakta said, “Hey my little angel, anybody can think positive when everything is going right. It’s when things are not going right that you need to be in the right frame of mind. After all, with the power of your thoughts, you can ‘will’ almost anything to happen. Hence, with the power of your thoughts, you can set anything right. Getting our thinking right is the sure-fire way of getting our life right. It is even more important to think right, when things are going wrong.”

There was strength in the content, but gentleness in the tone of voice. When people feel delicate and fragile, the voice that attempts to heal them needs to be soothing. Over-confidence in the voice during such moments will only make them breakdown further. There was love and affection in the touch, in the voice and even in the breathing.

The eyes were still closed, but the eyeballs were moving. She wasn’t ready to sleep now, as she was ready to be awakened. Avyakta said, “One of the universal laws of life is; ‘Like begets like; like attracts like’. By the thoughts you hold most dominant in your mind, you will draw more and more of similar thoughts into your mind. Things being a mere manifestation of thoughts, your most dominant thoughts will manifest in your life. So, whenever we go through tough times in life or when life is not treating us the way we want to be treated, we so easily slip into negative thinking. We develop the spectacles through which everything seems wrong. The problem with this mentality is that the negative thoughts that you are currently holding in your mind will begin to draw more and more of similar negative thoughts and that will become your most dominant thought pattern. When that becomes your most dominant thought pattern that is exactly what you will keep drawing into your life. That’s why when things begin to go wrong, so much more goes wrong. When life throws you into tough times, everything turns out to be tough. It happens this way because of the thinking trap we fall into. When everything you think is negative, everything that happens obviously turns out to be negative. Revolution is to go into a vicious cycle and evolution is to come out of that cycle. Hey little one, come out of the vicious cycle of your thought patterns.”

She altered her position to make herself more comfortable. She shook her head as if to ask “How?” Avyakta smiled, whacked her lightly on the head and continued, “Learn from your dad. Have you noticed that I am a big opportunist in thinking? I always control the direction of my mind and think only what I want to think. When my present isn’t what I want it to be, I take the time to recall the glorious past I have had. Sometimes in relationships, when the present is not all that smooth and there is no past in the relationship, I focus my mind on the future of the relationship and dream how wonderful it will turn out to be. In situations where neither the past, nor the present, nor the future seem too promising, I search for people who have gone through what I am going through, who have come out smelling of roses, and focus my mind on them. I am an opportunist when it comes to my thinking. I only think what I want to think. Hence, I end up drawing into my life only what I want in my life. After all, like begets like. Control the direction of your thinking and always manage to hold positive thoughts as your most dominant thoughts, and see how you navigate through life.”

To the girl who got up and sat, Avyakta said, “I practice the same even with people. I search for something positive in every person I have been acquainted with, either qualities or incidents, and hold that as my most dominant thought whenever I meet them or think of them. No wonder I have always drawn such wonderful people into my life! Like begets like. Even when I am sick, I either recall the days I have been healthy or visualise a healthier future and process that more than the present sickness. No wonder I have not missed a single working day on account of sickness ever in my entire career. My rate of recovery astounds even doctors.”

“However, a word of caution my child,” Avyakta added, “Since we have to be prepared for all possible contingencies in life, while planning projects and while introspecting life, by decision, wear the black hat and think what can be negative, what could have been overlooked, what can go wrong, what is bad. Only for contemplation and analysis, by choice, examine the negative so that you can take precautions to counter the negative. Anticipating rains and carrying an umbrella is not negative thinking. It is just proper contingency planning. However, after introspection when you are back in the present continuous, get back to being an incorrigible positive thinker. Use your mind well and ‘will’ your life.”

Almost as a parting question, Avyakta asked, “By the way, what is bothering you?” It seems angels don’t talk. The little one was in no mood to speak. She simply leaned over and hugged her dad, as if to say, “Dad, you plus me is enough, more than enough. I can and I will be able to do anything; handle anything.”

Still lost in the embrace, Avyakta whispered a few lines from the lullaby again, “Goodnight my angel, now it’s time to dream and dream how wonderful your life will be… I promise I will never leave you.” This time there were four lines of tears. Both the angel and the God of the angel, Avyakta, were in tears. Why? Hmmm… if you know why, then you will not cry.

Whenever we go through tough times, we so easily slip into negative thinking. The problem with this mentality is that your mind will begin to draw more and more of similar negative thoughts. That’s why when things begin to go wrong, so much more goes wrong. I am an opportunist when it comes to my thinking. I only think what I want to think. Hence, I end up drawing into my life only what I want in my life. After all, like begets like. Control the direction of your thinking and always manage to hold positive thoughts as your most dominant thoughts, and see how you navigate through life.

Do you have the right questions?

Our intelligence has an inherent compulsion to answer any question that is posed to it, either by you or by the world. So, choose your questions and direct your intelligence in constructive ways. In fact, all inventions and discoveries begin with a question. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have all the answers. Someone will provide you the answers. Answers will come from ‘Out of the Blue’. What truly matters is, do you have the right questions? Ask and you shall receive.